Stotts helped a ragtag group not only unexpectedly reach the postseason, but they even advanced to the second round.

From the press release:

“Terry has been an outstanding partner and this extension represents our desire to build a model of stability and consistency,” said president of basketball operations Neil Olshey.

Stotts completed his fourth season as head coach of the Trail Blazers in 2015-16, going 44-38 to solidify his third consecutive winning season and third straight postseason berth, despite not returning four of five starters from 2014-15. Portland defeated the Los Angeles Clippers in the first round of the 2016 NBA Playoffs to advance to the Western Conference Semifinals for the second time in the past three seasons.

“I am very pleased that we were able to agree on a contract extension and look forward to continuing the progress that we have made,” said Stotts. “As an organization, we have developed a culture and continuity that is exciting to be a part of, and I could not be more appreciative of the players and coaching staff. There is not a better fan base in the NBA. Jan and I love Portland and are extremely happy to call it our home.”

The Cleveland Cavaliers have a few days off until the Eastern Conference Finals kick off, giving people plenty of time to get upset—and look for hidden messages—about things LeBron James says.

The Cavs superstar gives props to Terry Stotts by saying he should have been named Coach of the Year (which went to Steve Kerr) after guiding the Portland Trail Blazers much further than anyone anticipated this season.

I asked LeBron about #Blazers. He said Stotts 'should have been' COY. Says Damian Lillard is an All-Star. Called CJ McCollum a Canton stud.

Trail Blazers starting guard CJ McCollum due to what the team is calling a “clerical error” was left off the active list for Wednesday night’s 109-98 loss to the Clippers. Each team is responsible to list the 13 of their 15 players who will be active for the upcoming game roughly 60 minutes before the game is schedule to start. The list is usually delivered by a designated member of the basketball staff, which is hand delivered to each coach, who then signs off on the list for that particular game.

But somehow, McCollum was left off the active list in place of rookie Luis Montero. Trail Blazers head coach Terry Stotts signed off on the roster after which it was delivered to the official scorer, with Clippers head coach Doc Rivers doing the same for his team. Once the list is signed by both coaches, as was the case Wednesday night, the active list is set. The Trail Blazers public relations staff sent out a notification pregame that there was a “error” made to the active list and that McCollum would be available to play, though evidently that would not be the case. […] “Every game we fill out an active-inactive list,” explained Trail Blazers head coach Terry Stotts. “CJ was mistakenly put inactive instead of Luis. I signed the paper without really noticing it but it’s my fault for not looking at it.”

“Although we caught the error, we thought we caught it in time, apparently we did not,” said Stotts. “CJ was ruled inactive and that was that.” […] “I went out to warmup, before we were able to do starting lineups Coach Stotts just made me aware that something happened with the inactive/active list,” said McCollum. “That was it… It’s unfortunate but it’s over with. Just moving on to the next game.”

LaMarcus Aldridge: “I’m definitely going to shoot more threes. Coach [Terry Stots] has been trying to get me to shoot them for the last two years. I think I’m the last player who didn’t want to shoot threes. I just wanted to wait until I was more comfortable with it. I definitely worked on it this summer and I feel more comfortable with it. Coach has already put me in plays where I’m in the corner more, I can down the three. I think that’s going to be one of the things I bring to the team this year.”

The other interesting item comes at the end when the discussion turns to the new lucrative television contract the NBA just signed with Turner and Disney, which is reportedly worth upwards of $2 billion. Some have hypothesized that maximum contract players going into free agency in the 2015 offseason, a list of players that includes Aldridge, might put off signing long term contracts until 2016 when the salary cap is expected to increase dramatically thanks to the infusion of cash from the new television contract.

LaMarcus Aldridge: “Yeah, that’s the reason why I didn’t sign this summer. It makes more sense financially to wait one year and play it out and be a free agent and then re-sign here where I can get double the money and it just secures my future here in this organization. So that’s why I didn’t sign. Definitely I want to be looking for that maximum contract. I don’t think I’m going to hit that. I think that money kicks in in 2016, so I’m going to miss it by one year. So, that’s sad to know, but for all the guys in 2016, happy for y’all.”

On the heels of the Portland Trail Blazers reaching the conference semifinals for the first time since 1999-2000, the team has rewarded head coach Terry Stotts with a multi-year extension. Stotts led the squad to a 54-28 mark in 2013-14, its best record since 2008-09.

Terms were not released, but a league source with knowledge of the contract told The Oregonian it’s a three-year deal, which includes a team option. The Blazers picked up a team option for next season, extended a second year and added a team option for the third year of a deal that could keep Stotts in Portland through the 2016-17 season.

Stotts, in his second season with the franchise, masterfully directed the team through a quick two-year rebuild, transforming it into one of the best in the Western Conference. With an entertaining, free-flowing offense that relies on movement, crisp passing and teamwork, the Blazers blossomed into one of the NBA’s best offenses and one of its most enjoyable to watch under Stotts.

The Blazers won 54 regular season games in 2013-14 and reached the Western Conference semifinals, beating the Houston Rockets in the first round before falling to the San Antonio Spurs. The 54 wins were 21 more than last season — accounting for the largest single-season improvement in franchise history — and the Blazers won a playoff series for the first time since 2000.

“Terry has done an outstanding job during his first two years with the organization,” general manager Neil Olshey said in a release. “This extension illustrates our confidence in him as our head coach as well as the Portland Trail Blazers’ continued commitment to building a model of consistency and stability.”

Wesley Matthews, like so many others, was surprised when the Portland Trail Blazers hired Terry Stotts as their new head coach. For months, it was rumored interim coach Kaleb Canales would get the permanent nod. Matthews had developed a rapport with Canales, and lobbied for him to get the job. But even though Stott’s hiring seemingly came out of the blue, Matthews’ excitement for the upcoming season hasn’t waned at all. Per OregonLive.com: “‘Initially, I was a little shocked,’ Matthews said. ‘I thought Kaleb was definitely going to get that job. But after talking to Neil and hearing his reasons, I’m excited. Coach Stotts brings championship experience and I think that’s huge. That’s somewhere we see ourselves in the near-near future.’ Matthews’ sentiment was almost identical to that of his teammates. As news spread from player to player that Olshey had finally ended his extensive coaching search and settled on Stotts, surprise transformed to acceptance before transforming to excitement. ‘He basically had the same reaction as me — shocked,’ Matthews said of Aldridge’s reaction to Stotts’ hiring. ‘But we’re both on board and excited to get this thing rolling. We’ve got a GM in place, got a coach in place and we still have Kaleb on board with the team and organization. We’re ready to get this going.’ There’s little doubt that retaining Canales will buy Stotts some goodwill with the players, almost all of whom have openly endorsed Canales. Matthews called it ‘the best of both worlds for everybody.’”

Dallas Mavericks assistant coach Terry Stotts will be named the new head coach in Rip City, the Trail Blazers announced. Stotts beat out interim head coach Kaleb Canales after the two interviewed with owner Paul Allen in London over the weekend, despite the fact that Canales was long rumored to be the favorite. Canales will remain with the Blazers as an assistant coach.

An 18-year coaching veteran, Stotts most recently served as an assistant coach with Dallas for four seasons from 2008-12. Under head coach Rick Carlisle, Stotts helped lead the Mavericks to the 2011 NBA Championship, particularly through his offensive expertise.

Per the team presser:

The Portland Trail Blazers have named Terry Stotts as the team’s head coach, it was announced today by General Manager Neil Olshey. Stotts becomes the 14th head coach in Trail Blazers history. “Terry is one of the elite offensive minds in the NBA, has extensive experience with multiple organizations and was instrumental in the Dallas Mavericks winning the 2011 NBA Championship, said Olshey. ‘He understands the vision for the future of the franchise, appreciates the process involved and will create an environment on the court that will produce championship habits.’ Stotts, 54, has twice served as an NBA head coach, with two-year stints in both Milwaukee (2005-07) and Atlanta (2002-04). He has compiled an overall head coaching record of 115-168 (.406). ‘I’m very pleased to be a part of a great franchise in a beautiful city with such a proud history,’ said Stotts. ‘I look forward to working hard with Neil and our players toward the ultimate goal of bringing another championship to Portland.’

The head coach position in Portland next season will belong to either Kaleb Canales (who took over for the fired Nate McMillan last year) or Terry Stotts (currently the top assistant coach for the Dallas Mavericks). Reports the Oregonian: “Stotts, 54, is the former head coach of the Atlanta Hawks and Milwaukee Bucks, where he compiled a combined 115-168 record. He has never had a winning season, but did advance the Bucks to the 2006 NBA playoffs, where they lost in the first round. He has been the top assistant in Dallas since 2008, and head coach Rick Carlisle credited Stotts’ offensive innovation in helping the Mavericks win the 2011 NBA title. Canales, 34, is the former video intern hired by the Blazers in 2004 whose ascension has included stops as video coordinator, assistant coach and interim head coach for last season’s final 23 games after Nate McMillan was fired. He went 8-15 with the Blazers and was overwhelmingly supported by the players after the season to be the next head coach. When GM Neil Olshey was hired in June, he also gave a strong endorsement, saying Canales had ‘set the bar high’ for other candidates to clear. Olshey interviewed more than 10 candidates for the position, then interviewed four finalists in Portland on Monday and Tuesday. Joining the interviews in Portland were Bert Kolde, the head of the Blazers’ board of directors, and Sarah Mensah, the team’s chief operating officer who is head of the Blazers’ business operations while the organization conducts a search for a president to replace Larry Miller, who resigned in July. Owner Paul Allen is attending the Olympics in London and it is unclear if and when he will interview one or both of the candidates.”

First of all, congratulations to Blake Griffin for his NBA Summer League debut last night, in which he went for 27 and 12 in a Clippers win over the NBA champion LA Lakers. (OK, their Summer League team.) There is, however, a strange quote from Mike Dunleavy in the AP story about the game…

“I’m not surprised him made all those shots,” said Clippers coach Mike Dunleavy, who did not coach the summer team but was a very interest observer at the game. “I watch him go 8 of 10 every day from five spots on the court.”

First of all, forget that Dunleavy was an “interest” observer at the game.

“I‘m not surprised him made all those shots” might be my favorite quote of the calendar year thus far, and, typo or not, I believe it may have established a Links meme in regards to Blake Griffin.

Blake Griffin, him going to be amazing rookie! Him rebound, him shoot, him play power game! Him so good we trade Zach Randolph!

Ladies and gentlemen, the Clippers present Blake “Him” Griffin!

The second half of the quote must also contain a typo. Dunleavy said, “I watch him go 8 for 10 every day from five spots on the court.” I was at Him’s workout for the Clips (along with a bevy of NBA writers, including David Aldridge, Howard Beck, etc.) and we all watched Him go about 2 for 10 from various spots around the lane. Then again, Dunleavy was pretty vague about it, so perhaps the “five spots” Dunleavy speaks of are all within three feet?

Anyway, the point of all of this was to congratulate Him for the big game he played last night, but also to remind everyone that we’re talking about summer league action. Remember when Marcus Banks scored 42 points in a summer league game? Or last summer when Jerryd Bayless averaged 29 ppg? It’s summer league!

• There are still, however, some undeniable summer league highlights. Such as yesterday, when the allegedly lighter and brighter Eddy Curry forgot his sneakers. But hey, at least he’s down to 328 pounds!

• OK, so it looks like I was wrong, and I’m not afraid to admit when I’m wrong. David Kahn definitely knows what he’s doing in Minnesota. Calm down, T-Wolves fans, because it looks like Terry Stotts (!!!!!!) is the leader in the clubhouse for the coaching gig. Great excuse for me to run this picture from his time in Atlanta when he coached on ‘70s night. Have fun, Wolves!

• When I was a kid we had a couple of cats, and I had no issues with them. Then I developed an allergy to cats, and since then I’ve never liked cats. Now it turns out they’ve been exploiting us all along!

• Because I watched Apollo 13 in HD last night, here’s ten things you didn’t know about Apollo 11, when man first landed on the moon.

• This is a little Lord Of The Ring-ish, but it’s still pretty amazing. More pictures and details here. But can it get League Pass?

• Finally, when I was returning from Africa last week, we had a layover at Heathrow, so I bought a USA Today to catch up on all the news I’d missed being off the grid for a week and a half. I was shocked to read about the death of Billy Mays. I’ve been a little obsessed with Billy Mays for a while. Ever since I saw him on the OxyClean infomercials years ago, I thought he would be an interesting guy to write a profile on, and even pitched him to some men’s magazines (that weren’t interested). Then he started turning up in more and more commercials, and finally got his own show on Discovery this year. And now he’s dead. If you have a PC, here’s a perfect way to commemorate Mr. Mays.